


Where Do I Belong?

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: NaLi [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Belonging, Best Friends, Broken Promises, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Feeling Out of Place, Friendship/Love, Guilt, Home, Homecoming, Memories, Promises, Reunions, Sibling Love, Siblings, Where I Belong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-17 06:20:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16510961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: Lisanna had chosen to remain in Edolas, but in the end it had been taken out of her hands and she discovers that going home isn't as easy as she thought. Meanwhile Natsu is struggling with the realization that he had broken his promise, and pulls away just when she needs him the most. However, some friendships never change...





	Where Do I Belong?

    Natsu hadn’t dared to believe it when he had first set eyes on Lisanna, not after what had happened in Edolas, remembering with painful clarity the joy when he had thought that he’d found his childhood friend, followed by the dismay and sting of rejection when she’d pushed him away and he’d learned that she wasn’t the same Lisanna he’d grown up with. However, from the moment that this Lisanna leapt at him with a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob, wrapping her arms around him with enough strength to bruise, he knew. _This was his Lisanna,_ and his arms had crept around her in return, pulling her closer so that he could bury his face against her shoulder, drinking in her scent and the fact that it was her, it was really Lisanna, not a ghost, not a copy, but the real one that he had thought he had lost years ago.

    He protested when Erza forced them apart a few seconds later, her tone harsh as she demanded answers, and even though the sensible part of him knew that she was right to ask, he didn’t let her words or suspicion taint his certainty. Instead he stood there, unable to take his eyes off his childhood friend, barely aware of the way Happy was sniffling beside him. _Lisanna._ His arms were itching to wrap her up in another hug and never let go, but Erza’s dark glare the moment he took half a step forwards held him in place, and so he remained where he was, drinking in the sight and smell of her, letting her words wash over him. He didn’t need to hear the words, he already knew that this wasn’t a trick or a lie, trusting her now as he always had.

_I should have looked for her…_

     The thought crept in as the interrogation continued and it dawned on him that for her to be here now, standing in front of them alive and well, that she must have been alive all this time. It didn’t matter that she had been in a different world, or that there was no way he could have known when her own family had been convinced that she had died on that mission. It didn’t matter…he lowered his gaze, hands clenching at his sides as the others finally realised that she was telling the truth, that she was their Lisanna. The others were moving forward now, joy replacing the suspicion as they swept the Take-over mage into a hug, but Natsu found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move forwards even when Erza and Gray glanced at him in surprise.

_I should have looked for her…_

_I promised her that I would, and yet…_

“Natsu?” The Dragon-slayer jolted as a hand brushed his arm, turning to look at Lucy who had remained by his side and was stood watching the reunion with a soft smile. Se might not know Lisanna personally, but she had witnessed the pain her loss had caused for her friends, remembering the grief in Mira’s eyes that morning, the slump to Elfman’s shoulders as they had left for the cemetery and there was joy in her expression at the thought that, that wound was going to be healed. However, when she looked at Natsu the joy faded a little, a slight frown appearing as she studied him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Natsu replied automatically, wanting to ease that frown, forcing a grin onto his face as he caught the doubtful look in her eyes. “I’m just tired, that was one hell of an adventure.” She couldn’t argue with that, and there was enough weariness in his voice from the battles and strain of travelling through the anima to convince her, and she patted him softly on the shoulder, humming softly in agreement as they turned their attention back to the scene in front of them. Natsu managed to keep the grin on his face for a few more seconds, waiting until Lucy’s attention was focused elsewhere before letting it fall off his face, his expression turning solemn once more.

_I should have looked for her._

*

     The guilt continued to build as they led Lisanna to the cathedral, knowing that Elfman and Mira were likely to still be there as the pair usually spent hours talking to her on this day and wanting to surprise them. He was aware that he was attracting more than one worried look as he trailed behind the others, never too far, but not daring to walk beside her even though he wanted to. However, he felt some of the leaden weight that had settled in his chest ease as they watched the reunion that followed, the sight of Mira’s lips curling up into a happy smile moment before the three of them were caught up in a group hug allowing his own lips to twitch up in a ghost of a smile. _She’s home…She’s really home._ It was something he had still been doubting he realised, only really sinking in as he watched them now, seeing the shadows from the last few years falling away.

   Still, he found himself having to turn away as Lisanna began to weep softly, her face burrowed against her brother’s chest and her arms wrapped tightly around Mira. _I should have looked for her, I could have brought her home long ago. I could have given them this much sooner…_ His chest was growing tighter again, and he found himself having to blink back sudden tears, swallowing hard as he realised that Gray and the others were looking at him with concern and he forced a shaky grin onto his lips, unsurprised when instead of reassuring them his expression only seemed to fan their concerns to new levels and he knew that it wouldn’t be long before they said something.

“I’ll see you back at the guild,” he muttered before they could say anything, refusing to let them interrupt the reunion that was still going on in front of them, and ignoring the surprise in their eyes he turned on his heels and began to move away without another word. Erza tried to reach out and stop him, but he dodged her, ignoring the dark look he could feel burning into him, breaking into a run before they could try to stop him again.

     It was only when he was out of their sight that he allowed the tears to fall, not sure whether they were tears of guilt or relief at this point and he found himself taking the path towards the river rather than the guild. _I should have looked._ There was no way he could bear the thought of facing the guild just yet, even though he wanted to check that they were okay after everything that had happened with Edolas and the Anima. He also knew that Lisanna...his thoughts choked up for a moment, more tears trickling down his cheeks as he hiccupped a sob. _She’s back. She’s home…_ and the others would be a while yet, knowing that Mira and Elfman would be loathe to release her even for a moment and unable to blame them and relieved, because it meant that he would have some time to try and get himself back together.

_I should have looked for her…_

**

     Lisanna had felt out of sync with the world around her from the moment that she had landed back in Earthland, her old guildmates surrounding at her and looking as though they had seen a ghost. _No._ She squeezed her eyes shut against a sudden rush of tears as she realised that she had felt out of place from the moment that she had first laid eyes on Natsu…her Natsu…in Edolas. She hadn’t let herself think about it before and it had never really mattered until now, but the time she had spent with the Edolas Fairy Tail had changed her, perhaps irreversibly. And even as she sobbed against Elfman’s chest and clung to Mira, she couldn’t help but feel that she was a missing piece that was trying to fit into a space that no longer belonged to her, or rather a space that she no longer fit into.

_Do I really belong here?_

     She had made the choice to stay in Edolas, to stay with that version of her siblings and she had accepted that was going to be her life, that she was saying goodbye to the chance to ever see her own family and friends again. She had accepted all of that, and then the choice had been taken from her, torn out of her hands as she had found herself being wrenched away from the life she had made, and a small voice in the back of her mind that she would never let herself voice aloud wished that she was still. That she hadn’t come back to this world where she no longer knew if she belonged.

    However, despite that feeling there was still a small smile on her face when they finally broke out of the hug, feeling Mira’s hand lingering on her arm and Elfman was stood so close that it felt almost as though they were still hugging. No matter what world she was in, or what version of her family she was faced with, she loved her siblings and she felt some of her tension easing as she looked at them and saw the relief and pure happiness in their gazes. _Elf-nii-chan…Mira-nee…_ Sniffling she scrubbed at her eyes, trying not to think about the Mira and Elfman she had lived with for the last couple of years, and whom she had left behind in Edolas, leaving them to face the loss of their sister for a second time. _Where do I really belong?_ The Mira and Elfman standing in front of her were different from her memories of them, and almost the polar opposite of the ones she had come to love in Edolas and she swallowed hard as she was hit by another wave of wrongness.

_I don’t belong here…_

    Desperately needing something to ground herself and recalling the overwhelming feeling of home that had hit her when she had first seen Natsu in Edolas, she turned, swiping away the rest of her tears as she searched for the Dragon-slayer. But he wasn’t there. She came up short, certain that he had been there a few minutes ago. It had been his overly warm hand that had settled in the small of her back, reassuring her before gently propelling her forward when she had frozen at the sight of her siblings grieving at her graveside. And it had been his voice, soft in a way she had never heard it before that had whispered in her ear, telling her to go and see them, to go home… _so, where is he?_

“He said that he’s see us all back at the guild,” Erza was the one to explain as she caught her searching look, and Lisanna struggled not to show how much his disappearance hurt. _Natsu, I need you here._ Was it selfish of her to want him by her side? They had been apart for a couple of years, and they had both changed, growing up in different worlds and ways, and yet despite that she had been certain that he was still her Natsu. But the Natsu that she remembered wouldn’t have taken off without a word to her, and she couldn’t stop her arms from creeping around herself in a self-hug, her vision blurring with fresh tears as she glanced down.

“Oh.”

_Do I really belong here anymore?_

****

Several hours later:

     Lucy frowned as she glanced across at where Natsu was sat, quiet and almost sullen in the corner of their usual table, even though the party that Makarov was throwing to celebrate Lisanna’s was already in full swing around them. Normally the Dragon-slayer would have been right in the centre of everything, and would have already caused at least one brawl and yet today he had made no attempt to join in at all. In fact, he had been quiet all day, ever since they’d returned from the graveyard to find him waiting for them outside the guild, and he had been completely silent since he had gone off with their Master to explain everything that had happened with the Anima and Edolas. That had struck her as odd as well, as usually it was Erza who was called on to explain whatever mess they had got themselves into and yet the Requip mage had seemed unsurprised by the choice, although she hadn’t explained why even when both Lucy and Wendy had commented on it.

   Sighing she let her gaze wander across to where Lisanna was sat chatting with her siblings, feeling her frown morphing into a smile as she caught the happy expressions on Mira and Elfman’s faces, fairly sure their smiles hadn’t dimmed once since the graveyard. She had heard the story of what had happened to Lisanna, but she realised that she had never truly appreciated just how much they had lost, and how much they had changed, until she saw how they were now. If anything, that just made Natsu’s reaction that much stranger, because he knew that he had missed Lisanna a lot more than he had ever let on around her. _Natsu…_ She couldn’t stop her gaze shifting back to him, blinking and feeling her face heating up when she realised that he had caught her movement and was now staring at her, an unreadable expression on his face before he rose abruptly to his feet.

“Natsu?”

“I’ll be back in a little while,” Natsu muttered, an odd expression passing over his face and there was something about it that scared her, and she reached forward to grasp his wrist, suddenly worried about what he might be about to do. _Natsu, what is going on with you? What’s wrong? And why won’t you talk to me about it._ She wanted to ask all of those questions, but for all that he was usually so open especially with her, he was letting off clear ‘leave it alone’ vibes and she was worried about what could happen if she pushed too hard at the moment. Still, she couldn’t let him go unchallenged, and she settled for asking cautiously.

“Where are you going?”

“There’s something I need to take care of,” he replied just as she was beginning to think that he wasn’t going to reply, and yet she wanted to growl at him for the vague response, but the temptation to do just that died when he abruptly yanked his wrist out of her hand. Stunned, she couldn’t move as he turned away and headed towards the door without a backwards glance and for a long moment all she could do was gape at his receding back, finally finding her voice just as he reached the main door.

“NATSU?!” She knew that he must’ve heard her, even over the sound of the partying guild around them, but there wasn’t even a flinch to acknowledge that fact and she bit her lip, hurt and frustrated in equal measure. She had just started to rise, intending to chase after him when she was interrupted by Erza appearing at her side.

“Leave him be,” Erza murmured as she slipped into the seat that Natsu had just vacated, seemingly calm as she set her plate of cake and drink down on the table, but Lucy wasn’t blind to the way the Requip mage’s eyes darted to where Natsu was just slipping out of the door, or the concern in that gaze and she frowned in confusion. There had been more than one occasion when Erza had pushed Natsu on issues that Lucy would quite happily have left alone, so it felt odd for it to be the other way around this time and she made no effort to hide her confusion as she focused on the red-head.

“Erza?”

“Natsu never really got over her death,” Erza replied, voice softer than ever and there was a shadow in her eyes as she glanced across at Lisanna, that told Lucy that it wasn’t only the Dragon-slayer who had struggled to deal with Lisanna’s ‘death’. It was something she could relate to, after all it had taken her years to accept that her mother was gone and even now she had days where she wanted nothing more than for it to have been a bad dream. Feeling the familiar ache of loss, she hastily wrenched her attention back to Erza as her friend continued. “I’m not sure that it’s really sunk in yet. That she’s back I mean, and I think he just needs some time to get his head around it.” Lucy could hear the unspoken ‘ _I hope’_ in her words, something that did little to ease her temptation to dash after Natsu and yet at the same time she trusted Erza to know what Natsu needed, after all they had known each other for a long time. Still, she would feel better just knowing where he was, and she glanced hopefully at Erza. “Where do you think he went?”

“When Lisanna die...disappeared,” Erza paused for a moment, glancing over at Lisanna once more as though to reassure herself that it was true, and Lucy realised that it was going to take them all a little while to get used to the fact that Lisanna hadn’t died. That she was back. Erza sucked in a breath, swallowing a little too hard, before taking a bite of her cake and Lucy had a feeling that she was taking the opportunity to gather her thoughts. When Erza finally continued, her voice was low but steady once more. “When Lisanna disappeared, Natsu built a marker for her out where they used to play as children. It was a place that was special to the two of them, and I imagine that he’s gone there…”

“Oh,” Lucy mumbled softly, hands clenching against the table as she imagined what it must’ve been like for all of them back then, tears stinging in her eyes as she thought of a younger Natsu building a marker for his best friend. _Oh Natsu…_ She had been contemplating ignoring Erza’s suggestion to leave him be, but this was too personal, too private and she resigned herself to waiting for him to come back to them, hoping that he would be able to find his feet again by himself.

    However, as she reached out to retrieve her own drink she spotted Lisanna heading for the door with a determined expression on her face, and she felt her lips quirking upwards. Natsu had never been able to stand against them when either she or Erza turned an expression like that in his direction, and it seemed as though Lisanna was fully aware of that fact. It felt odd to realise that this time she wasn’t the one who could help him, but she was relieved that someone was going after him, and she had a feeling that Lisanna was precisely what he needed right now, and she silently wished the other girl luck with the stubborn Fire mage.

_Please look after him…_

**

     The feeling of not belonging had eased a little upon returning to the guild, especially after Makarov’s welcome. He hadn’t been there in Edolas and as she had wrapped him up in a hug as she balled her eyes out, she had started to feel as though she was really coming home. However, it hadn’t been enough to ease the feeling completely and as she wandered around the guild chatting to people, and listening to Gray and the others teasing their friends about what their Edolas counterparts had been like she felt somewhat like she was watching everything through glass. She could see it clearly, but it was muffled and distant, leaving her feeling strangely adrift.

_It’s different._

    It was different from Edolas, and it was different from what she remembered. Everyone had changed whilst she was away and although she knew that she should’ve expected that, she still found herself doing double takes every few minutes, especially with her siblings. They were too different, both from her memories of them and their counterparts that she had lived with for so long and come to love, and whilst she didn’t want to stray from their side, not that they seemed willing to let that happen anyway, she found the feeling of not belonging intensifying as she tailed after them.

    Another cause for concern was Natsu. He had barely said two words to her since they had come back to the guild, although she had caught him watching her on more than one occasion and it disturbed her that she didn’t know what to make of the expression on his face when he looked at her. _Natsu._ She had never been able to bring herself to get too close to his Edolas counterpart, because that Natsu had been too different, no trace of her brash best friend to be seen. But it had been more than that, she hadn’t wanted to replace her memories of her childhood friend or the place he had occupied in her heart, and she had hoped, naively perhaps, that things between them would be normal. _I don’t belong here. Does he even want me here?_ The uncertainty was growing, fanned by the fact she couldn’t help but notice that he had a team now and from the interactions between him and the Earthland Lucy it was clear that were very close, and she couldn’t help but wonder if there was even a place for her in his life anymore.

_I don’t belong here._

    She could feel the smile she had been forcing beginning to falter and she had to blink back sudden tears, unable to stop herself from glancing towards Natsu once more. She froze as she watched him get to his feet, watching as he muttered something to Lucy before turning and practically bolting from the guild. _Natsu._ He had always been the life and soul of the party, and she couldn’t remember him ever ducking out of a party before and she found herself automatically taking a step as though to follow him, before freezing as she remembered who she was with. She couldn’t just abandon Mira and Elfman, not when they had been so blatant about their desperation to keep her close since they’d been reunited, and she nearly leapt out of her skin when a gently hand closed on her arm, turning her head to find Mira smiling at her.

“You should go after him,” Mira said softly. There was a hint of reluctance beneath the words, but it didn’t show in her expression as Mira glanced across at where Natsu was just slipping through the door.

“Mira-nee,” Lisanna whispered, touched that her sister would encourage her to chase after Natsu even though it was clear that she didn’t want to let her out of her sight. It was only when she found herself still hesitating that she realised that Mira wasn’t the only one who wanted to remain close. “But…”

“We’ll still be here when you get back,” Mira pointed out with a small smile, reaching out to wrap an arm around Lisanna as she continued to hesitate. “Your home, that means that we have all the time in the world to catch up. And we weren’t the only ones that lost you.” Natsu had never been overly open about his feelings over what had happened with Lisanna, but the entire guild had noticed that he’d lost some of his spark from that point onwards, his grin never managing to be as bright as it had been when Lisanna was there. It had finally begun to return after Lucy had joined, and she was worried by the fact that it hadn’t brightened now that her sister was back and as much as she wanted Lisanna to stay, she knew that they both needed this. “He missed you.”

“I missed him too,” Lisanna admitted, twisting her hands together as she stared at where Natsu had disappeared, unable to put into words just how much it meant to her right now to hear that he had missed her as well. In her darkest moments in Edolas she had wondered whether he had moved on completely and left her behind, and since coming back she had been afraid that fear had been realised, unable to hide from the fact that his relationships with the others had changed completely in her absence. “Even though I had a Natsu over there, it wasn’t the same.” _He wasn’t my Natsu…_

“Then go after him,” Mira urged, giving Lisanna a gentle nudge forward when she continued to hesitate, smiling when she caught Lisanna worrying at her bottom lip. It was a habit she had developed when she little, usually whenever she’d had a disagreement with Natsu and was debating how best to get through to him, and so she waited patiently, unsurprised when Lisanna turned back and returned her hug for a moment.

“Thank you,” Lisanna whispered, pressing a quick kiss to Mira’s cheek before pulling away, turning away and breaking into a run, determined to find Natsu and work out what the hell was going on with him. _I don’t belong here…_ She needed to talk to him, not just for his sake, but for hers as well, still believing despite everything that had happened, that being with Natsu. Her Natsu, not this strangely silent and distant version would help ease her back into her place in this world, and despite her concerns for her siblings, she didn’t glance back as she slipped out of the door.

    Mira watched Lisanna’s retreating back with a conflicted expression, jumping when Elfman’s voice rang out behind her a moment before his hand came to rest on her shoulder. “Mira, are you, all right?”

“I’m fine,” Mira reassured him, reaching up to grasp the hand on her shoulder, tilting her head up to offer him a warm smile before she turned her attention back to Lisanna who was just slipping out of the front door. It was hard to let her disappear from sight, a small flicker of fear rising at the thought that Lisanna might disappear again and Mira squashed it as best she could before admitting quietly. “It’s hard to let her out of my sight, even if I know they both need this.” She hadn’t missed the fact that Lisanna had been unsettled as they moved around the guild, and she hoped that talking to Natsu and repairing whatever damage their time apart had caused would help bring her sister back onto an even keel. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from turning to Elfman for comfort, uncomplaining when he wrapped his arms around her.

_Lisanna, please hurry back._

****

    Lisanna had never forgotten the hut they’d made together as children. How could she? It was where she had first confessed that she’d had a crush on him and that she wanted to marry him when they were older, even though she had later tried to cover it with a joke. It was where they had hidden from Erza and Mira when the older two were fighting, where they had hatched Happy and raised him between them. It was their sanctuary. If one of them had been upset, they would often retreat out there and without fail the other would appear within the hour, and in that private spot they would cheer the other up. It was theirs, and as she ran up the path towards it, she prayed that, that much at least hadn’t changed. Hoping desperately that Natsu would go there now, even though so much else had changed.

_Please, I don’t want to feel out of place anymore._

    Her breathing was coming in short, sharp pants by the time she reached the top of the hill where the hut lay, and she stumbled to a halt as her gaze landed on the very figure she had been hoping to find. The Dragon-slayer was stood a short distance from the hut, his hair ablaze with the light from the setting sun and there was an unreadable expression on his face as he stared down at what appeared to be a toppled gravestone lying at his feet. Her breath caught as she followed his gaze, taking a faltering step forwards. _Natsu, did you make that for me?_

“Natsu…?” Natsu’s head shot up so quickly that she feared he might give himself whiplash, and for a long moment they just stared at one another without speaking. She was just trying to think of something to say as the silence threatened to turn awkward when he moved. She didn’t have a chance to respond or brace herself, and she was nearly sent flying when he slammed it her, and the next moment she found herself engulfed in overwhelmingly warm arms and she couldn’t hold back the sob that welled up.

_It feels like home._

Lisanna melted into the hug, reaching up to wrap her own arms around him and burying her nose into his shoulder, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks as she was engulfed by the familiar scent of cinnamon and open campfires, and she pressed her face closer until it was the only thing she was aware of. _I’m home._

    She wasn’t sure how long they had stood like that, just clinging to one another, but she felt some of the ragged edges that had been stopping her from fitting back into place smoothing out and finally she pulled back. Not going far, but just enough to be able to peer at his face, worry welling up as she took in the guilt written across his face and the tear tracks on his cheeks. She knew that she was probably in a similar state, but she frowned as she studied him, realising that he was actually trembling against her. “Natsu?”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, and she found herself being pulled back against his chest and she didn’t resist, pressing against him. However, she didn’t understand what he was apologising for and she couldn’t hide her confusion when she finally got her voice to work again.

“Huh, what for?”

“I promised that I would look for you if you ever disappeared again, but I didn’t,” Natsu’s voice caught in his throat and she felt the tension that was practically radiating from him as tightened his hold on her, and she let her arms creep around him once more in the hopes of calming him. “You were out there all this time and I wasn’t even searching for you.”

   Warmth blossomed in her chest as his words registered, realising that even after all this time he had remembered that promise. _You didn’t forget me._ She had known deep down that it was a foolish fear, that there was no way that Natsu would ever be able to forget a friend, especially not when they had been as close as the two of them were back then. Yet she hadn’t been able to shake the fear that maybe she had lost the place in his life, but she could feel those feelings being washed away by his words. Sniffling she pressed her face against his chest for a moment, smiling as his warmth washed over her and realising that the feeling of not belonging was already fading to a weak, background hum.

“Idiot,” she scolded him when she found her voice again, lifting her head enough to meet his gaze when he made a soft noise of protest. “How were you meant to know?” She might have hoped that he hadn’t believed she was dead, that he was still looking for her all that time, but she would never blame him for not doing so, and in a way, she was glad that he hadn’t. The thought of him wasting his time searching for her in the same dogged way he had hunted for Igneel pained her, and she shook her head before offering a tearful, but hopefully reassuring look. “I never expected you to look for me this time.”

“But…”

“You all thought I was dead,” Lisanna pointed out, squeezing him comfortingly as she felt the shudder that wracked him at her words. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to waste your time searching for someone who was supposed to be dead, so please…don’t beat yourself up.” She paused for a moment, resting her head against him and listening to the rapid beat of his heart, remembering the number of times she had fallen asleep to that sound when they were younger, and she felt herself relaxing even more, but there was still something she needed to say. “It means the world to me that you remembered the promise, that you remembered me.”

“Lisanna.” Suddenly there were warm fingers under her chin, and she found her face being tilted upwards, her breath catching as she found herself staring into olive eyes that were awash with so many emotions that she couldn’t even begin to make sense of them. Warm breath ghosted against her cheek and she found herself closing her eyes, suddenly overwhelmed. “I could never forget you.” It was said so softly that if they hadn’t been standing so close she might have thought that she had misheard him, and her eyes flew open just as warm lips pressed against her cheek. “I never forgot you, and I never would even if you stayed gone forever.”

“Natsu…I…” There were fresh tears falling now and she stared at him for a moment longer before burrowing against him, her voice trembling as she chanted her gratitude against his chest. “Thank you…thank you…thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being you, for not changing after all this time…for not forgetting me!” There was so much more that she wanted to thank him for, feeling more of the rough edges smoothing away as his hand crept up to play with the bottom of her hair. Feeling more than hearing the hiccupping sob that escaped before he let out a soft chuckle that had her looking up once more, blinking at the understanding expression on his face. “Natsu?” She questioned, and his lips curved up into the warm grin that had drawn her to him the day they’d first met, and she couldn’t help but smile back at him. _This is my Natsu._

“Welcome home,” Natsu murmured as he released her, reaching up to brush the tears from her cheeks, laughing when fresh ones fell at his words and dutifully wiping those away too as Lisanna visibly fought to gather herself. _Natsu, do you know just how much those words mean to me?_ She had heard them dozens of times already that day, but there was something about hearing them in his warm voice that made it feel more real, and she sniffled again before reaching up to grasp his hands, stilling his movement as she met his gaze and there was no hesitation in her voice this time when she replied.

“I’m home.”

_I do still belong here._


End file.
